Kathmandu. Speaker Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal and Speaker of the Australian Parliament Milton Dick held a meeting today. Speaker Aryal, who is in Arusha, Tanzania to attend the 153rd General Assembly of the Inter-Legislative Union (IPU), and the Australian Speaker Dick held a meeting today to discuss various issues including friendly relations between Nepal and Australia, parliamentary cooperation and other issues, according to Speaker Aryal’s Secretariat.

On the occasion, Speaker Aryal said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Australia in 1960, relations based on friendship, mutual respect and common democratic values have been continuously strengthened. He thanked the Australian government for its humanitarian assistance and support in search and rescue operations following the floods in the Bhotekoshi region. Expressing condolences to the families of the missing Australians in the floods, he praised the solidarity shown by Australia during the disaster.

Stating that Himalayan countries including Nepal were being severely affected by climate change, Speaker Aryal expected Australia’s cooperation and solidarity in international debates and initiatives related to climate change. Speaker Aryal said that the formation of the Nepal-Australia parliamentary friendship group was an important basis to further strengthen the parliamentary relations between the two countries. He expressed the view that bilateral relations could be further strengthened through regular interactions, experience sharing and parliamentary diplomacy among the parliamentarians.

On the occasion, Australian Speaker Dick expressed Australia’s willingness to further strengthen bilateral and parliamentary relations with Nepal.